According to the Michigan Supreme Court, there are two types of joint custody, which include joint physical custody and joint legal custody. When joint legal custody is awarded, both parents have the authority to make decisions that affect the welfare of their children. In comparison, when joint physical custody is awarded, parents are given specific times to spend with their children. However, this does not necessarily mean that this time will be split evenly. For example, one parent may take care of his or her children during the school week and the other parent may spend the weekends with his or her children.
During the divorce process, the Michigan Supreme Court states that the court must consider ordering joint custody if one of the parents requests it. Additionally, if both of the parents determine that they will share custody of their children, joint custody must be awarded unless the court decides that this arrangement is not what is best for the children. When determining the best interests of the children, the court considers a variety of factors. These include some of the following: